The fantasy genre continued to grow in the TV space in 2024 and the year offered a number of excellent entries for fans to obsess over.
Whether it was the longer-than-wanted waits for Season 2 of “House of the Dragon” and “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” or new discoveries like “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” there was plenty to love for fantasy nerds in 2024.
For example, for anyone looking for a new twist on their fantasy watching, the latest entry in Dropout’s “Dimension 20” D&D series is ready and waiting.
Without further ado, these are the 9 best fantasy shows of 2024:
9 Best Sci-Fi Shows of 2024
House of the Dragon
After two years, “House of the Dragon” returned with a bigger, stronger, bloodier second season. The show’s first season, while good, left some fans confused by the many time jumps and character aging. That’s all gone in Season 2 as the Targaryen civil war heated up. Rhaenyra and Team Black started the season reeling after her son Luke’s death at the hands of her half-brother Aemond and his dragon Vhagar, while Alicent and Team Green contended with managing the new king Aegon II. The show’s scope also expanded in Season 2, taking us out of just King’s Landing and to Dragonstone, the Riverlands and even to the Stark-owned North and The Wall. Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke and the rest of the cast all bring their A-game, making for a “can’t look away” experience as a family tears its dynasty apart. — Jacob Bryant
Agatha All Along
“Agatha All Along” was predicted to be Marvel’s least-watched show by some, but in the end, it ended up being one of the franchise’s highest-rated series and boasted the best continuation rate of any Marvel show through its first four episodes. Why? Well, you’ve got Kathryn Hahn and Patti LuPone each turning in award-nominated performances, surrounded by an equally talented cast. You’ve got a song that, once again, won’t leave your head. And you’ve got a plot that brought back the best of Marvel times, where fans theorized together week to week. “Agatha All Along” became a community watch, and fans are hopeful for a Season 2. — Andi Ortiz
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The second season of Prime Video’s big swing into fantasy with “Rings of Power” continued it’s strong world-building and attention to detail while correcting some of the complaints about the first season – namely, a plodding pace and storylines feeling too removed from one another. Season 2 also added a number of action set pieces like the Siege of Eregion that added a darkness and edge to the show’s sophomore outing. And for fans of the text material, getting a true live-action portrayal of Tom Bombadil was as much a thrill as Sauron’s continued quest to create his titular rings. – JB
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Disney+’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is being made with the TLC fans should hope all adaptations are given, but rarely are. The series stars Walker Scobell as the titular hero as he’s placed in a school to teach fledgling demigod’s – the children of gods. It’s not long before he and a pair of new friends are thrust upon a quest that has all the makings of a great road trip story with plenty of high fantasy action. Even if you don’t have a connection to the original source material, the series is well worth the time of anyone in search of another fantasy binge to end the year. – JB
The Boys
There’s nothing more satisfying than a show that gets better with each new season, and that’s the case for Eric Kripke’s superhero series “The Boys.” Season 4 stands as the second-most viewed Prime Video TV season thus far, with viewership up by 21%. And it’s no surprise, the fourth season is bloodier, funnier and even more politically and socially thoughtful than ever. In this latest chapter, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) can’t distinguish between what’s real and what’s merely an illusion, as he struggles to maintain his wavering sanity after consuming V24. His arch enemy Homelander (Antony Starr) has his eyes set on the White House, and he’s using antiheroine Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) to get there. As for the Boys: Frenchie (Tomer Capone) is fighting his troubled past as a former assassin, Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) is refacing the association of killers that murdered her family, Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) is juggling panic attacks and his daughter’s poor behavior at school, Starlight (Erin Moriarty) is sparring with The Seven newbie Firecracker (Valorie Curry) and Hughie (Jack Quaid) is working through his father’s death. Joining Curry as a new cast member this season is Susan Heyward, who plays the smartest person in the world, Sage. She’s teamed up with Homelander to help with his plan to make the U.S. a supe-run country. Just like before, the show grabs watchers’ attention with its beloved ensemble cast, grotesque stunts and props and relevant themes that always spark online conversations. — Raquel “Rocky” Harris
Interview With the Vampire
AMC’s critically acclaimed adaptation of “Interview With the Vampire” has been a cult hit since its first season, but heartbreaking performances and word of mouth have made this TV diamond in the rough into a bona fide hit. Following the aftermath of Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) and Lestat de Lioncourt’s (Sam Reid) deadline breakup in New Orleans and Louis’ subsequent move to Paris with daughter Claudia (Delainey Hayles), the 2024 episodes followed as Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) pieced together the remaining threads of the vampires’ love story — along with the part that Louis’ partner Armand (Assad Zaman) played in the schemes that unfolded from there. The show has already been renewed for Season 3, which will put the spotlight back on the vampire Lestat as he tours the world with his new band. That should only make this beloved vampire drama more of a cultural phenomenon. — Jose Alejandro Bastidas
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The live-action adaptation of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko’s animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” recaptured the world originally envisioned by the creators and brought it to the forefront of pop culture once again. The Netflix series cast actors who took up the mantles of Aang (Gordon Cormier), Katara (Kiawentiio), Sokka (Ian Ousley), Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu), Uncle Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim) and more with ease. Though not beat-for-beat with the original, the new show hit many similar marks and made changes to the structure and chronology of the story, from the Airbender genocide shown in the first moments to the earlier introduction of Kim’s Ozai. Masterful visual effects capture the elaborate four nations and realistic bending styles, plus guest stars like Arden Cho, Utkarsh Ambudkar and more bring familiar faces to life. — Dessi Gomez
Kaos
“Kaos” is a contemporary retelling of Greek mythology and spends time exploring more modern themes as well as the classics often explored in such retellings. Jeff Goldblum leads the series with expected excellence as Zeus as the gods living among us as six humans learn they’re a part of an ancient prophecy. Obviously come for Goldblum, but stay for the smart and snarky story that makes the fact that the show was canceled after a single season all the more devastating. – JB
Dimension 20: Fantasy High – Junior Year
While it may not seem like traditional fantasy, Dropout’s tabletop roleplaying game show “Dimension 20” premiered the third season of their ongoing campaign “Fantasy High” to thunderous excitement. The setting is simple: think putting a John Hughes film in a fantasy setting. The show follows a group of teens as they muddle through angsty teenage life at their high school training the next generation of heroes and adventurers while also juggling the stress of saving the world. The table’s returning group of comedians and improvisers include Emily Axford, Zac Oyama, Siobhan Thompson, Lou Wilson, Ally Beardsley and Brian Murphy and is DMed by Brennan Lee Mulligan. For people who have a desire to get into Dungeons & Dragons or those who just want a fun and angsty fantasy story, Dimension 20’s “Fantasy High” is your next binge. – JB
